Broken
by baker's huntress
Summary: Simmons makes a mistake, then does her best to try and fix it. *Spoilers for episode 2x01*


**Broken**

_Summary: _Simmons makes a mistake, then does her best to try and fix it. *Spoilers for episode 2x01*

_Disclaimer:_ _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. _does not belong to me.

_A/N: _Sorry for the vague summary. I didn't want to spoil anyone who hasn't watched the premiere. This was not really edited and was written pretty quickly, so I apologize for any mistakes. I just had to get all these feelings and emotions out or I'll never get to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is what you want?"<p>

"Yes, sir."

"You understand that if you go through with this—if you leave the base—you can never come back?"

She hesitated, but she eventually let out another "yes, sir."

He nodded his head, though his expression was grim.

"Pack your things, then meet Trip in the hangar at 0900 hours."

If he had not turned away from her, he would have seen that her eyes had widened in surprise. She hadn't expected to leave so soon.

.

.

.

"What the _fuck_ is this I hear about you leaving?"

She jumped at Skye's voice.

"I can't stay here any longer, Skye."

"So you're just going to abandon us. You're just going to abandon _him._"

"As I explained to Director Coulson, my leaving would be better for him. His recovery would be faster and would go more smoothly when I'm not around."

"That's bull shit, and you know it."

Truthfully, she did. But that was the only thought that was giving her the strength to leave, so she wasn't going to let it go.

"Goodbye, Skye."

She grabbed her bags and walked passed her.

.

.

.

She scratched an itched on her temple caused by the scarf that served as her blindfold.

"We've been driving for a long while now. Feels like it's been over an hour. Are you really not going to say anything to me?"

"What's there to say?"

She felt his anger burn through her in those four words.

They drove in silence for a few more hours before he finally stopped the car.

"We're here. You can take off your blindfold now."

When she did, she found herself in front of the departure area of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. She looked towards Trip to say goodbye, but her attention was caught by the passport and printed e-ticket in his hand. The passport had her picture in it, but the name read "April Jones."

"You know what? There _is_ one thing I want to say to you. If you were just going to leave him when he needs you the most, you should have just left him at the bottom of the ocean. That would have been far less cruel."

She jumped out of the SUV before he saw her tears.

.

.

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"Fitz, I'm sorry. I tried to stop her."

Skye's eyes held sympathy. But there was also that ever-present fear that he was going to break at any moment. He was really getting tired of seeing that look on all his teammate's faces.

"She didn't even say goodbye to me. It's because I'm broken, isn't it? She doesn't like seeing me like this."

She sighed.

"I don't know what it is, honestly."

He was relieved she wasn't lying to him or sugarcoating her words.

"I know that's what it is. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to work on this...um...this..."

"Cloaking thingy-majig?"

He let out a rare chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure that isn't what it's really called. But, yeah. That."

.

.

.

"I can't do anything, sir. I'm a liability to you, and a waste of resources."

"Fitz, I will say this one last time: Stop putting yourself down."

"But it's true. It will be better for the team and for you if I leave."

The director sighed.

"I can't force you to stay. If you want to leave, I'll have Skye make up the documents needed to get you back to Glasgow."

"I'm not going back home to Glasgow, sir. You can just drop me off to the nearest town—"

"That is not an option. You either stay here or with a family member. I'm not abandoning you at some place you don't know."

"But I don't want my mum to see me like this, sir. Simmons already left because she couldn't stand seeing me all broken and useless. I won't do that to my mum."

"This is your last warning Fitz: Stop putting yourself down. Whatever problem Simmons had was all about her and had nothing against you. You're how you are now because you were a hero, Fitz. You risked your life to make sure the tracker got on the plane, which ultimately led me and the rest of the team in defeating Garrett, capturing Ward, and shutting down the Centipede program. And you risked your life to make sure your best friend lived. You're recovering, but you are not broken."

"But I'm still useless to your cause."

"You are a hero who risked everything to make sure our side won, and I will not abandon you because you didn't get out of the battle unscathed. Furthermore, you are family, Fitz. You are part of _my _family. And the only way I'll let you out of my protection is if you return to your mother. So what's it going to be? Are you going to stay with your family here or would you rather be in Glasgow with your mother?"

It was his turn to sigh.

"I guess I'll get back to working on that cloaking thingy-majig."

.

.

.

"Bro, I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm worried about you."

"It's all right. I'm worried about me, too."

"It's just...you've been..."

"I know she's not really here."

"Then why do you—"

"I cope better when I pretend that she is. I know I probably look absolutely mental—"

"Yes. Yes, you do. But if it helps you, then keep doing it. We understand."

"Even the new guys?"

"Don't worry about them. If they say something mean, I'll tell May, and she'll handle them."

.

.

.

"So..."

"So..."

"How on earth did you get tangled up with Donnie? Did he seek you out?"

"Actually, I sought him out?"

"Why would you—"

"I made a mistake! I shouldn't have left. As soon as I got off of the plane in Sheffield, I wanted nothing more to get back on it and head back to the States. But I didn't know how to get back. It was like in Harry Potter, when Ron let his anger, fear, and jealously consume him, and he left Harry and Hermione. But as soon as he disapparated, he wanted to go back but couldn't find them. That's what it was like for me. I let my guilt over what's happened to you and about taking the oxygen and not finding another way to escape that pod, I let all that get to me. I shouldn't have left, Fitz. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. And I promise never to leave you again."

He swallowed. He didn't know how to respond. He didn't know how to forgive her.

"How does that tie in with Donnie?" he asked instead.

"When I couldn't contact any of you directly, I searched online news sites for unusual activities. I knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would be close by if I found something strange. When I read about some unusual freezing in Miami, I immediately packed my bags and left for the States, much to my parents' dismay. I didn't know it was Donnie, and I didn't expect him to recognize and attack me. But my plan worked, though. I found my way back to you. Though, admittedly, a deluminator would have been a lot less painful."

"Just don't do it again."

"Believe me, Fitz. I won't abandon you again."

"I didn't mean that. I meant, don't put yourself in harm's way just to get back to me. I'm not worth it."

"Yes you are."

.

.

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"He doesn't trust me anymore. It's like he's expecting me to leave again."

"What gave you that idea?" Sarcasm dripped off of Skye's every word. "Was is how Fitz now only works in the lab on the BUS? Or how he's spending a lot more time with our mechanic version of the hulk than with you?"

"You're angry with me still?"

"What did you expect? Don't get me wrong, deep down, I'm glad that you're back. But I'm still furious with you for abandoning us when we needed you the most. You didn't watch Fitz deteriorate before your eyes. He started hallucinating and pretending you were still beside him for fuck's sake!"

"I know! I know I messed up. I should never have left. And I will regret that I did for the rest of my existence. But I promise you that I'm here to stay. What will it take for you and for Fitz to believe me? What will it take for you to trust that I won't leave again?"

"When you don't."

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The silence was awkward as they pretended not to notice each other. She wished that she had paid attention when she entered the kitchen and checked that no one was already in there.

"It's been three weeks, and you're still here."

She was so lost in thought berating herself that she almost missed his words.

"I told you I would be."

He gave her a genuine grin before he walked out of the kitchen.

She couldn't keep the smile off of her face for the rest of the day.

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.

.

"Uh, Simmons?"

She nearly dropped the pipette at the sudden break in the silence.

"Yes, Fitz?"

"I think I've figured out what I'm doing wrong with the cloaking mechanism, but I need some help—"

"Yes! I mean, I'd love to help you. Just give me a few minutes to clean up."

"All right. I'll meet you on the BUS in, let's say, fifteen minutes."

She got there in five.


End file.
